Breastfeeding and Weight Loss: Diet Update

For some reason I felt compelled to tell Ben that I was on a diet. Which sparked a whole onslaught of questions about what a diet is, why I am on a diet, etc, etc, etc. I thought that talking about it with my 3 year old would hold me more accountable from swiping leftovers off his dinner plate. Silly mama! Instead, I got an earful from Ben about how he likes me in my current squishy form.

Things are going well on the weight loss front. My weekend weigh in had me at 186, which is 3.5 pounds down from my starting weight 2 weeks ago. Recently I read an interesting article about weight loss and breastfeeding and the risk of dropping the pounds too fast. The gist of the article was how toxins are stored in our fat and when we drop pounds our fat release these toxins. If I was to be extreme and lose a lot of weight rapidly, the sudden release of toxins would leave my body partially via my breastmilk. Interesting food for thought.

Post nursing session at the park. Working on burning those extra calories via breastfeeding!

From all of the different articles I’ve read on breastfeeding and weight loss I’ve picked up a few things. Postpartum mamas should wait at least two months to begin any type of weight loss diet, some articles even said 6 months. This is to ensure our milk supply is in full swing before we calorie decrease. We also should not be overly restrictive in calories as this can adversely damage our milk supply and ultimately effect our babies. Eating healthy foods is the best plan. Of course, we all know an actual banana is a better choice than say chocolate chip banana bread, I don’t need an expert to tell me that one.

I’m eating breakfast every morning and am even eating combos of things I never did before. Like yesterdays scrambled eggs with a side of asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Hold up! Vegetables at breakfast? I’m snacking a lot but on healthy things like chopped up apples and handfuls of almonds. I’m packing along my own snacks instead of being tempted to pick up something while I am out. I have nixed the afternoon baked goods that I was grabbing but I am still reaching for that PM coffee.

I know how to lose weight, I lost 40+ pounds in the past. So, I’m using my past knowledge with my current situation and hoping that slowly these extra pounds will melt off of me. All while consciously fuelling my body for the amazing job it is doing of feeding my baby. I’m also totally milking the fact that breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day.

Well Hello There!

Hi! I'm Andrea, I use to live the single life downtown and fell so in love with it I didn't want to give it up once I started a family. I live in beautiful Vancouver city along the seawall.

My first apartment baby is now a full on boy and we struggle with finding space in our condo for his growing collection of 'things'. I have two little girls and we are always walking back and forth in the city.

I work as a labor and delivery nurse and love the work that I do. I also gave birth to all three of my babies at the same hospital that I work in!

I use this space to write about my family and how we chose to thrive and grow in a small space with Vancouver as our backyard.

I also love to share my passion about breastfeeding, birth and parenting.

Have a question or a comment? Email me! I also love to read comments left on posts, so feel free to leave me a note!